Pureblood
by Shopaholic2412
Summary: This story is about the love between Albus Severus Potter and Arabella Rosier who belong to two very diifferent societies- one is the son of the Chosen One while the other belongs to a family who were former death eaters. How do you think these two indivisuals coillide and more importantly what is the collarteral damage? Please read and review and b kind its my first hp fanfic
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I really don't own anything in the harry potter franchise it all belongs to J.K. Rowling.

CHAPTER 1

A wall of heat and noise seemed to slam against me as I passed through the wall to enter platform 9 and three quarters. I looked around to see little first years looking all teary as they clutched their parent's overcoats hoping to somehow prolong their departure. I wrinkled my nose in distaste at a little boy who was crying and basically making a big fuss, I mean there was a boy whom we all know wouldn't end up in Slytherin. It was true that blood purity did not matter as much as it used to in my parent's time, but even now in the great house of Salazar we did continue the tradition and respect blood status, and I had the full intention of reminding the entire school about Slytherin's greatness now that I was Head Girl and all.

There was no doubt about it, I was the smartest as well as the prettiest girl in school, especially after those Veela cousins all graduated from school last year. Long, shiny blonde hair, cornflower blue eyes, porcelain skin all coupled with a straight 'O' average, I truly represented the best the noble house of Rosier had to offer. My train of thought was interrupted by my chauffeur when he told me that I better board the train which was about to leave in ten minutes. I gave him a wan smile and did not ponder way too much on the fact that my parents had not had the time to drop off their only daughter in the train that would take her to her last year of school. Well father was busy working and mother couldn't have missed her society gala for anything besides, like I said Slytherins were strong we didn't need parents to drop us off anywhere. I shook off my brooding mood and fought my way through the hordes of people in the train all clambering to look for a seat- I mean how much more commonplace could they get? I walked straight over to the Prefect compartment where the rest of my friends were waiting. If you ever saw my group together you would think that they were vampires or something- they were all good looking, and let me tell you when I make a statement like that, I mean it. Scorpius Malfoy came up to greet me with a grave look on his face which instantly told me that something was very wrong. I looked at Rosetta Nott's face and saw the same expression mirrored in it. Karl and Evan looked away when I stared at them. "Cmon guys, who died?" I asked them with a serious expression. "Oh believe me," Scorpious said, It's much worse than that."

I fumed and sulked sitting at the very end of the prefect conference room, half an hour later. It definitely was confirmed, McGonall had finally gone bonkers. I mean which sane person in their right mind makes a Gryffindor and a Slytherin work together as Head Boy and Girl. Yeah guys you heard it right, I was going to be sharing my duties with none other than Albus Severus Potter.


	2. Arabella

Chapter 2

"Oh look at what the cat dragged in guys!" I whirled around to see Rose Weasely closely followed by her cousin Lily and a red haired guy whom I didn't recognize but who did resemble her a lot. Scorpius and Rosetta who had gone aside to discuss quidditch tactics with our co-captain for the year, Marcus Goyle, couldn't hear anything that we were saying. "Looks like someone didn't learn their lesson from the last time their hair 'accidentally' caught fire during Potions last year." I said with a smirk and felt quite smug about the fact that Rose's hair had still not grown out completely- you see she had had to go almost bald after that little incident. I purposely flipped my long glossy curls off my shoulder and said just to rub it in her face. "You know your new look really does wonders for that face of yours, let us just say that it brings out the manliness in you" I said with a cruel smile on my face. That did it for Rose, she pounced on me her wand drawn and aimed a jelly leg charm at me. I narrowly dodged it and sent a well aimed charm her way – it hit her right in the face and caused her entire face to erupt into ugly painful looking boils. I smiled at that delightful sight, Rose may be better than me at the theory work but everyone knew that I was one of the best duelers in school. I had been feeling pretty good about myself till a curse hit me from behind that turned my skin a vivid green. I whirled around to see the redhead holding a wand in his hand with a fierce expression on his face. By now all the prefects had gathered around to see what exactly was happening. There was a shout of anger as Scorpius saw me and launched himself on the poor boy. Meanwhile Rose had managed to get up and was advancing towards me with a frightful look on her face. I frantically looked around for my wand but realized too late that it had rolled away when that blasted curse hit me. Rose realized it too and raised her arm to curse me and I braced myself for the impact but nothing came. "What in the WORLD do you think you people are doing?" I looked up to see Rose frozen stiff in front of me her wand floating in mid-air. I looked around and realized that the situation had really gotten out of hand. All the Gryffindors and Slytherins in the room had started fighting along with the two of us and pretty soon I guess the Ravenclaws had decided join in too. The treacherous Hufflepuff prefects must have been the ones who called Albus in, I really don't know why people thought that house was kind and caring, personally its members always rubbed me the wrong way. "50 points from Slytherin, Gryffindoor and Ravenclaw for participating in this and ten points for Hufflepuff who participated in this." Albus almost hollered. Indignation rose within me as I stood up straighter. "This is completely unfair!" I said, walking up to him. "Gryffindor started the fight!". " I don't care who started this," Albus said. "Fine then," I replied. "Twenty five points from Gryffindor for bullying," I said and cheers rang out from the Slytherins in the crowd. Albus's green eyes narrowed as he walked closer. Just to show that I was not scared of some uppity Gryffindor who just happened to be a Head Boy I closed the distance between us so that we were almost chin to chin, the only problem being that I really just reached his chest, no more. "And who do you think you are?" he asked with a slight edge to his voice. Truth was I was kind of shocked at how good he really looked, with his chiseled features and emerald green eyes. However, I didn't allow that to faze me. I smirked at that statement, really I had just been waiting for him to ask me that. "I am the Head Girl for the year, Arabella Rosier," I said, the smirk still pasted on my face.


	3. Albus

Chapter 3

After we managed to restore the room by some extent to its former neatness we initiated our meeting. However I really don't think that anyone was really paying attention, I mean with a green Head Girl and a room full of prefects with torn clothes and singed hair I really didn't expect anyone to do so. I myself busied myself fixing my face back to my normal color and applying gloss, till Albus gave me a rather pointed stare, I replied by smirking at him, we really were going to hit it off, weren't we? "I think our Head Girl would like to speak a few words," Albus said with a smile and yielded the floor to me amidst bursts of laughter. That little git, I thought to myself, as I stood up with a dazzling smile on my face. I saw a fifth year swoon a bit from the corner of my eye. "Well, I don't have much to say except perform your duties well prefects, you are the ones who uphold the honour of our school." "Oh and on another note, Griffies," I said with a pointed look at the Wotter clan sitting right at the back, get ready to be creamed this year, the House Cup is OURS". Albus looked like he was ready to throw me off the platform, and gave me a glowering look. Something told me I was not going to be asked to speak for a long, long time. He then quickly distributed our patrol charts and I groaned on seeing all those night duties. I would have asked Albus whether we could exchange duties but a little nagging voice told me not to push my luck. We then all filed out of the room after being reminded that no one could breath a word about the incident that took place and that our punishment would be decided upon by the 'proper authorities'. Something told me even I should have a say in the matter, but after everything that had happened, I thought better of it. Like the no gossip thing was going to work out anyways. By the time Scorp, Rosie and I reached the compartment about five Slytherins had already congratulated me on kicking some Gryffindor ass and breaking the record of the person who got detention the fastest. We were greeted by the silent looks of Karl and Evan when we entered. Sometimes I thought that the Mulciber twins were so similar that it was completely creepy. Of course I kept such thoughts to myself, the twins were after all quite huge and could have crushed me like a twig if they wanted to. I saw that everyone had already changed into their robes and realized that I was still dressed in my skin tight black Zara dress with matching Vanilla Moon shoes. Really if I had wanted to I could have simply left school and a thousand modeling agencies would have fallen on top of each to hire me. But that was not a choice, I had to complete my education and marry an eligible bachelor of my parent's choice. Not that I minded that of course, it was the least I could do for them. Despite the fact that Scorp was not completely trustworthy, Rosetta was secretly jealous of me and the twins were not really close, I loved my friends and was completely and utterly satisfied with my life. I wouldn't have felt so self satisfied had I known that my entire life, which I had worked extremely hard to build, was about to be turned upside down, by a single person.


	4. Punishment

CHAPTER 4

I simply couldn't believe it, the school should be sued for this! I, Arabelle Montogmery Rosier, the sole heir to the whole of the Rosier fortune, was being forced to work like menial worker in the trophy room scrubbing all the trophies till they shone. I mean there should be a limit to how much the school can torture us, right?

I had been sitting innocently in the Great Hall during the opening feast, admiring my perfectly manicured nails and praising Elizabeth Parkinson's new hairdo all the while making snide comments about her in Rosetta's ear, when Professor Longbottom walked up to where I was sitting. "Miss Rosier I would like to have a word with you," he said. If it were up to me he wouldn't even be standing 10 feet near me, the fickle blood traitor, but I pasted a charming smile on my face and followed him outside the Hall. Potter was waiting for us outside, looking like someone had just kicked his cat or something (Hmmm.. that might be fun!). "So, Mr. Potter, Miss Rosier, the Headmistress had decided upon your punishment," said Longbottom and the look on Potter's face turned even more sour, if that was even possible. "You will be cleaning every trophy in the trophy room following which you will clean all the armors and dust every painting, and then you will join the rest of the Prefects in scrubbing the floors in the dungeons." I felt like someone had just come right along and bludgeoned me with a spiked club. "You are kidding me, right?" I asked him. "If the school is in such a dire need of cleaners I am sure my father would be anble to help with the finances," I told Longbottom. "I do not 'kid' around, Miss Rosier," he said with a scowl. "And don't worry you will have to work only from 7 to 10 everyday till your work gets over." He said. I groaned loudly which earned me another frown cum scowl from Longbottom. "You should have thought about the consequences before you got into a fight, Head Girl." he said. "And oh yeah, before I forget, Albus here will be instructing you in your duties and supervising your work." After dropping that bombshell Longbottom gave us an amused smile and left.

And that is how I have ended up scrubbing quidditch trophies on my first night in school, with my new number one enemy/supervisor, Albus Potter.


	5. The Beginning

CHAPTER 5

"Bells are you okay?" Scorp came up behind me and put a comforting arm around my shoulders. Usually I would snapped a person who dared to call me 'Bells' into half, but today I was too tired and worn out , besides, Scorp's arm really felt good. The detention thing had really gotten out of hand now more than ever, since my floor cleaning duty started last week. And Potter, well, I don't really think I want to talk about Potter! "There is a bit of dust left out there Princess," I still remember him saying with that smug little smirk plastered on that face of his. "Whoa Ara what's going on in that dark little brain of yours?" Rosetta asked me with a suggestive look. "I think it has been too long since we had a good ole Slytherin raid!" I said with a plan forming in my mind. "Did I hear something about a raid?" Karl piped in, closely followed by Marcus. "Well forget about it!" Marcus said with energetic expression lighting up his usually bored face. "Its quidditch trails week!" the two sang in unision. I rolled my eyes as Rosetta squealed and Scorp's entire face lit up, if there was anything in this world that my group got worked up about, then it would be quidditch. In our last summer holidays, Scorp and the twins had gone for a quidditch camp in Romania. During their stay they wrote me letters once in two weeks. Never once in those letters would the three ask how I was or how my holidays were progressing, it would always be about them and what they did and how their lives were going. Their letters would go somewhat like this:

Dear Arabella,

We ate the best quiche in the world today! There is this really great café here near the local market where they sell all sorts of goodies. It is a muggle shop, we know but the food there is simply delicious. You know that quiche we ate was like the second best hung in the world that we tasted, uh no make that second best. The little salmon bites we had during your second cousin's engagement banquet are simply unbeatable. Oh yeah and practice is going really well and there is this really pretty French girl, Scorp is hitting on her a lot you know, you might want to warn Rosetta. And I met this really cute girl and we went out a few times. She has a third cousin who married a half blood though, so it's really just a summer fling. Don't go tattling to my parents now okay Bella, otherwise would you really like Lizzie to know who ruined her treasured white Emilio Pucci gown that day when the Parkinsons invited us home? I don't think so.

Yours faithfully,

Marcus Mulciber.

I mean really, based on the amount of money each Pureblood family spent on teaching their kids manner and etiquette, one would think they taught them to ask a simple "How do you do?"

I looked into Karl's imploring melting chocolate brown eyes and felt my resolve break away. "Darn it!" I cursed. "Fine guys plans postponed to next week," I said. As we entered the Great Hall, my eyes were immediately drawn to the Gryffindor table. I could have kicked myself for doing this, as the second I scanned the table my eyes fell upon Potter. We held our gaze for some time and then I quickly looked away before anyone else noticed anything. It had been this way for a few days now and I didn't know what to do about it. Through the taunts and the jeers and the low blows, I felt a certain connection to him like I was drawn to him in some way. Even though it made me physically sick to have feelings like that for any Gryffindor, let alone a Wotter, I couldn't help myself. Stolen glances, an accidental brush of fingers which lingered far too long but which were immediately cleared up with retaliation from both sides, were quite common. However, hoe much ever I resented or tried to ignore this feeling, I could never really bring myself to hate it.


	6. An Unwanted Encounter

Chapter 6

"Come on kids, hurry up!" Professor Rai urged us on as we slowly entered a large hall to our first ever defense against dark arts class for the year. Rosetta, Scorp, Marcus and I sat on the very last bench along with a few of our fellow Slytherns. Karl wasn't there as he had opted out of Potions, a move greatly resented by his parents. "In accordance with our efforts to reduce inter- house rivalry, the Headmistress has decided to pair up students from different houses together in every class." Rai said. "This has been triggered off due to a serious incident that took place in our train a week ago," he added with a glare. Actually this wasn't true, the inter- house rivalry problem had grown more and more concerning from my fourth year. Every day some new fights would break out and children get injured. If our parents thought that the rivalry was a problem in their times, they would be shocked if they came to school now. Slytherin house had been prejudiced against by all the others which angered us even more, causing a great many problems. Every quidditch match at least half of the team members came out injured and we reported casualties due to fights between students of different houses daily. In my fifth year the school had decided to stop allotting Head Boy and Girl from the same house, even then they usually coupled a Ravenclaw with a Slytherin or a Gryffindor with a Hufflepuff, always harmless pairs. They had also decided that instead of taking two houses at a time they would take all the classes together. This was the first time in Hogwarts history that a Gryffindor and a Slytherin had been made Head Boy and Girl together, and I really wasn't enjoying making history. "And to lead the whole school the Headmistress and the Council of Professors has decided that the Head Boy and Head Girl will be paired together in every class!" Slughorn said, eyeing me with a warning look on his face as if he was saying, "Any fit in here Miss Rosier and I will personally make sure that you don't get to play quidditch for the whole year." Even though I felt like hexing the Headmistress along with the entire freaking Council halfway across the world I went up to the front of the class where Professor Rai expected Potter and I to stand and faced the whole class. There was a mixed reaction from the crowd, the Hufflepuffs didn't look much bothered, while the Ravenclaws looked like some lesser being had walked upto them and told them to their face "You are stupid." The Gryffindors and the Slytherins had such looks of pure disgust and hatred on their faces that I thought that they would simply get up and kill each other any second. I searched in my heart to feel the same hatred for the Gryffindor standing right next to me but came up with nothing.

Professor Rai then split the rest of the class into pairs, during which I busied myself with the lace on my black skirt, turning it blue then pink then orange before turning it into a deep emerald green, the exact shade of Potter's eyes. I quickly realized my mistake when I saw his impassive face morph into a shocked expression on seeing that particular colour and changed my skirt back to the regular black. Professor Rai then levitated all the benches away and assigned us areas where we had to practice a few spells which she read out. From the corner of my eye I saw Rosetta making snide remarks about Lucy Weasley's nose which was a bloated little thing and Scorp intimidating some small Griffy with glasses. All around the room there was a general air of tension and a fight broke out somewhere behind me between Flint and a Ravenclaw which attracted Professor Rai, taking him away from us. The minute he left I was pulled back by someone and roughly turned so that I was facing the ugly bloated face of Wallace Mason, Rose's boyfriend of three years. Despite the fact that he was a six feet boy compared to my five feet two inches frame, I looked him directly in the eye and said "How is dear Rosie's face? Is she all good?" This question made him to glare even more and he tightened his hold around my waist and arms making me think that this would leave some bruises. "Filth like you should be kept out of the school, Death Eater spawn." Wallace said with a sneer on his face. He said it low enough so that the rest of the people who were too busy staring their partners down and were too far away to actually see what was going on didn't notice anything amiss. Even the way Mason was holding me was in very unobtrusive. He was standing right in front of me blocking me from anyone's view since I had been assigned a remote corner of the hall. On hearing that statement however my blood boiled. I raised my fist to punch that ugly mug of his when all of a sudden Mason was pulled back by Potter. He had gone away to collect our assignment sheet which we had not received and had just returned. He had a murderous expression on his usually stoic face and for the first time I felt scared of Potter. Apparently he had heard what Mason said because he growled into his ear, "It is dirt like you that should be kept out and not people like her." He then pushed him away and said, "I will deal with you later."Potter then slowly walked up to me and took a look at my arms. It was only when I looks down that I realized that Mason had pressed my arms very hard leaving purple bruises on my white arms. It was when I saw these bruises that the pain actually kicked in and I bit my tongue to stop myself from screaming. As you guys might have guessed I had quite a low tolerance level for pain which didn't serve me well at all on the quidditch pitch. Without another word Potter took me to Professor Rai and told her that I had gotten injured while practicing a particularly difficult spell and needed to be taken to the Hospital Wing. Professor didn't seem to buy it, knowing very well that I was one of her best students, but I don't think he wanted to accuse the Head Boy AND Girl of lying, so he allowed us to go. It was quite unlike me this whole thing. If it were up to me I would have kicked up a riot, hexed Mason a couple of times, made a lot of noise so that everyone knew, and probably gotten a whole month worth of detention for all my efforts. However, I had gone by Potter's way, without questioning him on any point. I mean yeah sure I didn't get into any trouble and would make sure that Wally's statement didn't go unpunished but this blind faith in Potter and his capabilities scared me a lot.


	7. Night Patrol

CHAPTER 7

"Shit! I am late!" I swore aloud as I ran up the staircase to meet Potter outside his dorms.

Apparently the Fat Lady had heard me because she said, "Language young lady." I gave her a withering look, to which she replied with a loud 'Harumphh' and exited her painting.

"You are the first person I have met who managed to tick off the Fat Lady within the first five seconds of meeting her."

I whirled around to see Potter leaning against a pillar and smiling down at me. Seeing those emerald green almond shaped eyes of his crinkled with laughter caused my heart to do a little tap dance.

That was it, my mental condition had aggravated to a full blown disease and I had to admit myself into the St. Mungo's Hospital.

I was never affected by boys in this manner. Hell! I had dated Gerald Flint in my sixth year, the hottest guy in the school at that time (he was a year older than I am) and even he didn't arouse such feelings in my heart.

Then how in the world did that two- bit Gryffindor manage to steal my heart?

For those who might be wondering, no this was not secret rendezvous between Potter and I.

Remember all those late night patrols? Well, this was the first one in a very long line of those.

"Done dreaming Rosier?" Potter said as he waved his hand in front of me, looking more and more amused by the second, like I was some dumb Blondie and not the Head Girl as well as the most popular girl in the school.

"If so would you be as kind as to follow me?"

I really didn't understand this boy.

I mean when there were people around us he would act all cold and distant, not even giving me a second glance.

And then there were times like this when we were all alone, when he would act all warm and nice and friendly.

I struggled to catch up to him, as he walked down the stair and slowed down a bit when he realized that I was far behind him.

"So made you late?" he asked me.

"I was washing my hair." I replied a blush creeping up my face,"

Potter looked at me with a strange expression on his face.

"What?" I asked in annoyance.

"No nothing," he replied," It's just that the way Rose and Domnique talk about you one might think you are a fire breathing dragon who lives in a cave up in the Alps."

That got my attention real quick, "What do those bitches so about me?" I asked Potter and regretted those words as soon as they left my mouth.

I looked up, fully expecting a glare lighting up Potter's face but instead I was greeted with a full blown grin.

"Funny," Potter said, "That is the same designation they use to address you."

I laughed at that, which made Potter give me a wistful look.

"What happened?" I asked him, laughter still ringing in my voice.

"Nothing," he said, "It's just that you look really pretty when you laugh, you should do it more often."

By now we had reached the quidditch pitch, and I came to an abrupt halt near the entry.

Potter ran a hand through his messed up hair, making them even more messy.

"I am sorry," he said, "That was out of line."

"No, that was the nicest thing anyone said to me in this whole week."I replied. And the saddest part was that it was the truth.

"Quiddtich selections are there two days from now, right?" Potter asked.

"Mmmhhuh," I replied.

"You are a good Seeker you know," he said, "In fact it's a tie between Rose and you for the best seeker."

"I know, as much as I hate your cousin I must agree that she is a good Seeker." I said a smirk lighting up my face.

"But I am not playing this year."

"Why don't you want to play this year?" Potter asked me with a puzzled expression on his face.

I then proceeded to explain to him how Pureblood girls weren't really supposed to engage in aggressive sports and how my parents had made an exception till last year but refused to allow me now that I had turned 17.

Potter looked like I had gone crazy.

"You do realize that now since you are of age you can make your own decisions." Potter said.

"But I have no practice either." I protested.

"Let me help out with that." Albus said, a smile lighting up his face.

We took two Nimbus 1000s from the broom cupboard and I slowly mounted the broom and rose into the air.

"You sure we won't get into trouble for this?" I asked Potter.

"No one comes around here at night anyways" he replied.

I became surer about myself as I rose higher into the air and executed a perfect flip in the air. Potter applauded me in the distance and himself did a perfect nosedive till he was a few inches above the ground.

It quickly turned into a game of who can do the most tricks and I must say Albus far surpassed me.

He was far better than any member on the Slytherin team and I now knew that it was completely justified that he had managed to become a Captain in his fourth year.

He flew with the grace of a professional player and judging by his muscles, he was a pretty good Beater.

I flew closer to him and was shocked by how beautiful Albus looked, framed by the full moon.

His skin gleamed in the moonlight and his tousled hair accentuated his chiseled features.

He pulled me closer to himself and I saw a tender expression in his brilliant green eyes as he closed the distance between us pulling me into the best kiss of my life.


	8. A final goodbye

CHAPTER 8

"STOP!" I said and pulled myself away from Al.

This was wrong, completely and utterly wrong!

"We can't be doing this Potter," I told him.

"Why?" what is wrong with what just happened, Arabella?"

"If you did not want it or if I did something wrong, I will walk away right this minute and won't try anything ever again."

"But you have to tell me was what just happened in any way against your will?"

I wanted to tell him that everything about us was wrong, that we had to stop kidding ourselves, that a Gryffindor and a Slytherin could never be together.

But most important of all I had to tell him something that would at once severe any ties that we ever had, something that had been eating away at my heart since this summer.

This was such a big secret that I had not even been allowed to tell Scor or Rosetta about it.

"I don't understand you at all Arabella!"

"This, what just happened, we both wanted it for days, and now when we have it you are backing away?!"

"You just sit on your high horse in your ridiculously expensive Italian boots thinking that everyone is judging you, when actually you are the one who is prejudiced against everyone!"

My eyes stung as that insult flew like an arrow out of Al's mouth. I looked down at my beautiful black custom made boots with engraved rose motifs on the sides. Never before had anyone dared to speak so frankly with me before.

"You don't understand anything, I mean how could I expect you to anyways, you are a bloody Gryffindor!" I spat and turned on my heel and left.

I didn't bother to look behind and walked away as quickly as possible, so that no one would notice the tears running down my eyes.

"Oh! Look the stone princess is crying."

I recognized the high pitched irritating voice at once. I turned around on my heel to find Rose flanked by Wallace Mason.

"Well well Rosie dear, aren't you supposed to be on duty near the Astronomy Tower?" I asked her with a trembling air of authority.

"Well one of the Hufflepuff's reported some voices in the Quidditch pitch but they were too chicken to look it up themselves so they called me., but forget that we found something much better to play with didn't we Wally dear."

She said those last few words with so much ditziness that I thought her brains would flow through her ears like syrup and make a puddle on the floor ruining her third rate sneakers which deserved to be in the bin anyways.

"Whoa! You killed me with the all the sweetness Rosie, I think for my next Transfiguration assignment I'll do an experiment: can someone have the I.Q of a toaster muffin and still function in human society?" I said with my own sweet voice.

"Oh no, you don't get away with insulting me this time Rosier!" Rose screamed as she launched a Full Body Bind curse at me.

I narrowly missed it and realized that I had not brought my wand along for my duty. My forgetfulness was going to be the reason for my demise I thought as I faced Wallace and Rose again.

Rose grinned like a devious feline and Wallace gave me his ugly smirk.

She raised her arm to hex me and I braced myself for the impact.

I felt a strong pair of arms pull me back as a voice said, "Back off!"

I instantly recognized Al's voice and scent.

"Rose, Wallace!"

I looked up and saw anger blazing in Al's brilliant green eyes.

"I thought I warned the two of you the last time!" he said in a low dangerous voice.

"Obviously that didn't work out," he said.

"I am taking away a hundred points from Gryffindor for this and the two of you are going to be serving detention with Filch for a whole month!"

Rose looked like her eyes were going to explode out of their sockets.

"You are choosing that snake over your own cousin and your house?!" she asked Al with an indignant expression on her face.

"I am not taking sides Rose, I am simply doing the right thing." Al told her with a stony expression on his face.

"You can leave now," he told the two of them, "Meet me after breakfast tomorrow."

He then turned to me with a concerned expression on his face.

"Are you hurt?" he asked me.

I shook my head telling him no.

My throat was choking up, Al was so nice to me and I, I had been playing him and he didn't even know it!

I felt like I had been thrown down a deep never ending chasm of despair.

"I need to leave, Al," I told him with an edge to my voice.

"Let me at least drop you off till your dorms," he requested but I instantly turned him down.

"Thanks, I told him for it all."

Saying that I slowly made my way away from Albus Potter, seeing his handsome chiseled face shining in the moonlight, knowing fully well that the very same eyes that shone with longing looking at me right now would be hardened with hatred the next time I saw them.


	9. Revelations

CHAPTER 9

"Bellaaaa tell me what's wrong!" Rosetta hollered into my ear.

The heads of Scor, Karl and Marcus immediately shot up and they all fixed me with a questioning look.

I looked at the doll- like perfectly made up face of my childhood friend, complete with the coral pink lips and Gucci handbag and was overcome with an overwhelming desire to strangle that girl.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Rosetta saw me when I was returning to my dorm, my face all puffed up from crying, I would have been having a perfectly good breakfast reading the latest Vogue instead of sitting in the Great Hall being interrogated like a suspect by my friends.

But no, the Destinies had decreed something altogether different for me.

It was a bright sunny Saturday morning with the perfect amount of sun for sunbathing, but to me it was like a storm had come along and ripped away everything in my picture perfect life.

"Tssssk tssk," Rosetta said as she flicked an almost non- existent particle of dust from the sleeve of my black Dior mini dress.

"My mother always tells me," Rosetta intoned," You are painting a masterpiece my child; make sure you don't allow the people to see the brushstrokes."

I swear if that girl spent half the time she did on following her mother's advice and preening herself to perfection, doing something useful, she could do wonders.

I mean don't get me wrong, I loved my friend and everything but I also knew that she was extremely intelligent and talented. It was her family that was holding her back. Being the youngest child among ten brothers couldn't be easy.

I saw Marcus roll his eyes at Rosetta's words and gave him a sharp jab in his ribs. His exasperated expression quickly turned into one of pain.

I hated it when the boys acted like we girls were all mindless chickens, they didn't know half of it.

I could sense that Scor who was sitting beside me was going to ask me about last night again, when he was cut out by the Headmistress coming up to the podium to make an announcement.

The entire hall became silent as the Headmistress announced, "We are going to be welcoming another student into our school. He was supposed to come at the beginning of the term but due to certain hindrances, he could only arrive now."

There were loud whispers all around the Hall, causing McGonall to shut us all up with her withering glare.

Our new student will be studying in the seventh year and has pursued his former studies in Durmstrang. I would like the whole school to welcome their new student Mr. Selwyn!"

My blood ran cold as I heard that name. I sent a silent prayer to God hoping that I was wrong that it was probably not the person I was thinking about, it was one of his cousins. But I knew that it was not so, that the noble and pure house of Selwyn, which was one of the founding members of the Pureblood Society along with the Blacks and the Gaunts, had only one heir, the same way I knew that that heir was the most handsome boy in the pureblood society. And how exactly did I know all this you might ask, well let us just say that Robert Van der Bilt Selwyn was my fiancé.

A tall dark haired boy, with pale skin and such perfect features that they looked like someone had carved them out of marble, walked up to the podium.

"Hello my fellow students," he said a smirk lighting up his face.

He spoke with a light Russian accent and I could see that some of the girls had already started drooling looking at him.

"I would like to thank the Headmistress for introducing me in such an honorable manner," Robert said and shot a smile at McGonall.

And I swear I actually saw her blush!

"I would also like to apologize to all the teachers and students for such an intrusion and my delay, thank you for putting up with Me." he said and threw one last winning smile for good measure.

McGonall resumed her position at the podium and gave Robert a warm smile. "Lastly," she said, "I would like the Slytherin house to recognize their new member."

There were groans from girls at the other three tables. I bet they were saying in their minds, "Another hot guy lost to those bloody snakes!"

And then the horror of the horrors! While walking towards the table, safe from the prying eyes of the teachers, Robert WINKED at me! In front of the entire frigging school!

That boy was uncontrollable! Anyone who knew him would have not even thought that Robert would be in any other house. And that was not just because he was a Selwyn. With the charms of the devil, a tongue of silver, the ambition and drive of a man with nothing, the wealth of nobles and the good looks of a Greek god, Robert Selwyn was the personification of the Slytherin house.

At my sides and right opposite me, Scor was losing it.

As Robert walked up to our table saw Al glance at me with an unrecognizable expression on his face. I got scared for a second thinking that maybe he knew about my secret but then mentally kicked me for being so stupid, how could he know when even my best friends had no clue?

Scor walked up to Rob almost jumping on him.

"How could you not even write to me telling me you were joining my frigging school, man?" Scor asked him a look of indignation on his face.

I was once again reminded of how close friends these two were despite being in different schools.

Robert apologized to Scor saying, "Next time I am caught up in a tropical storm on my way back from the Caribbean I shall let you know okay?"

We all laughed at that and I slowly sensed everyone's inquisition slowly fading away as they got interested in their new toy.

I had known Rob as a child till I left for Hogwarts and he joined Durmstrang. Scor, he and I had been best friends till our first year, after which I had slowly drifted away from those two. The first time I had met him after he came to drop me off at the station during my first year was a few months ago during the summer when our engagement was finalized by our families.

I still remember that sunny day when I had worn my golden Chanel dress, on my mother's insistence and Robert had just come back from his Quidditch camp. I remember admiring his muscles and slowly cataloging all the things that had changed in him since he had been the little blue eyed boy I remembered.

Rob came up and sat opposite me, next to Scor and noticed my little black dress which showed off the curves in all the right places and raised his eyebrows.

"Looks like little Bells is not so little anymore," he remarked receiving a well earned playful retort from me," The same can be said for you snookie," I told him using the pet name his mom used to use for him.

Scor chortled and Rosetta and the twin looked genuinely lost.

At that time Karl suddenly asked, "You play Quidditch right?"

Rob answered in the affirmative and Rosetta groaned.

"Why it that with you guys it always is about Quidditch?" she cried.

"You can be our new seeker!" Marcus said in excitement.

"I am a Beater," Rob said, "I am sorry I can't play the part of a Seeker, I have never trained for it."

"But you have Bella right?" he remarked.

"Yeah, but I can't play this year, my parents said so," I told him.

"I will write a letter to them," he said a look of annoyance crossing his face;" They can't do this to you."

"How would it matter if you wrote a letter," Rosetta asked him a look of puzzlement crossing her pretty features.

I balked, thinking that the cat is now out of the bag, but Rob saved the day with his quick wit.

"We are really great childhood friends you know, and Bella's parents consider me to be a sort of role model for her," he said a smirk lighting up his face.

"But you can still play beater for us right?" Karl asked.

"Sure!" Rob replied, slowly buttering his toast with his left hand.

I saw a few girls looking over at our table with their eyes all star struck and I sensed Rosetta looking at Rob with a wistful expression on his face.

All this while I was painfully aware of Al looking at me , which burned a hole through my heart and I realized with a sigh that this was going to be an extremely long year indeed.


	10. All but One

CHAPTER 10

"Come on Bells drink some more!" Marcus goaded me on as he himself took another swig of firewhisky.

"Guys, I really think that we shouldn't get drunk we could get into trouble with the Prefects," I said.

"Don't be a spoilsport sweetie!" Rosetta said with a slurred voice as she forced some whisky down my throat.

There was a roar of laughter among the group as my eyes watered and I almost spewed the entire thing out.

Marcus laughed as he tilted my face and poured a whole glass in my mouth.

I coughed and spluttered as the firewhisky made its way down my mouth.

"Guys stop it, Bella gets drunk easily," Scorpius said with a scowl on his face.

"She can't hold her liquor like a man," Rosetta said in her fake manly voice extracting giggles from the whole crowd.

"It's very careless of you guys to drink in the school, we could easily get caught!" I protested again but my arguments were ignored by all of them.

I really wish Rob had been there to help me get these guys in order, but he had gone to get a few extra classes in DADA to cover up for the portion he had missed.

Rosetta, Scor, Marcus, Karl and I were all sitting in our special nook in the dungeons near the Slytherin dungeons celebrating Karl's success at establishing an 'invincible team' as he liked to call it.

Turns out Rob's letter had caused quite a stir due to which my father had agreed to allow me to play. I have not lost a single game for my house since I joined in my fifth year and Karl shed tears of pure joy on having me back.

Our little celebration had been intended to include only one round of firewhisky but since Marcus had managed to lay his hands on a whole crate, we decided to finish it up. I had no idea what sort of system that boy had set up in the school because everyone knew that if anyone wanted anything out of the ordinary, Marcus was the man for the job.

Our raucous laughter was instantly silenced when Scor suddenly put his finger to his lips, and pointed at the door.

"Do you guys hear those footsteps?" he asked.

The room in which we were sitting was about as big as a dorm room and had a single fireplace with thick stone walls.

But the problem was that it was adjacent to the corridor that led towards our common room and a lot of students frequented these corridors.

I instantly froze when I realized that it must be some Prefect doing nighttime patrol duty.

We all looked at each other cautiously slowly realizing that one of us would have to take the blame, since we all couldn't possibly fit under the relatively huge invisibility cloak and get away.

Besides it would be quite dangerous if a non-Slytherin prefect found an empty room with a burning fireplace and half a dozen firewhisky bottles all strewn around.

The school would probably expel all the Slytherin students with the exception of the first three years, as it is it had been contemplating that without the whole 'drinking' scenario cropping up.

I couldn't allow something like that to happen.

I volunteered and my friends gave me a weird sort of a look.

"You got into plenty of trouble last time you know because of the whole 'Rose' thing, are you sure?" Scorpius asked.

Karl volunteered to take the blame but then I swatted away his offer.

It was Quidditch season; we couldn't afford to lose our captain over to those Gryffindor loving blood-thirsty vultures.

"Dude, I am the Head Girl, you guys could get into a lot more trouble for this you know?"

One by one, they used the cloaking spell to turn themselves invisible, and slowly one by one go out of the room and I was left all alone with the sole blanket which had been brought by Rosetta.

The door was banged open I admit I kind of gave a backward jerk and covered my head to prevent myself from getting hurt.

"Arabella, shit is that you!?"

I uncovered my eyes to see Al looking down at me with disbelief written all over his face.

He helped me up and immediately wrinkled his nose when he came near my face.

"Have you been drinking?" he asked me with anger in his eyes.

"No! I have not," I lied but my slurring voice gave me away.

"Do you really want to get expelled that badly?" Al said and dragged me by my arms towards the door.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, with a dread settling in my heart.

I bet he would now get back at me by handing me over to the Headmistress with a smug smile lighting up his face and say, "Here you go ma'am your goat for slaughter, enjoy."

Instead he took me by my hands and cautiously took a look outside and pulled me out.

I wobbled on my unsteady feet and fell flat on my face when Al left me.

He turned around and gave me an exasperated look.

Taking me by my hand he said, "You don't worry about that Rosier, you just keep your mouth shut and your eyes on the road,"

He then broke out into a full sprint with me right behind him and saw hundreds of portraits and banisters fly by me as we went up and down about half a dozen staircases.

A particularly disgruntled ghost started screaming profanities at us as Al roughly pushed him aside in his blind hurry.

My feet burned as I struggled to keep up with him in my four inch heels and my head started pounding angrily.

I grew even more frantic when Al started kicking the walls and muttering curses under his breath as we walked.

I knew if we were caught it would be extremely bad for both of us but seriously it wouldn't hurt to just give a girl a break.

"Al what exactly are you doing?" I asked him nervously.

He just shushed me with his hand and stopped right opposite this wall near the Astrology Tower and closed his eyes as if he was deep in meditation.

"Uhhmm, sorry to disturb you Al but this might just not be the right time to have your daily yoga class," I told him freaking out completely.

I don't know how my brain managed to process such dumb thoughts when I was knee deep in trouble.

"Who is there?" I heard a girl's voice ringing out on the floor below ours.

I instantly recognized Polly Clearwater's voice.

She was the Ravenclaw seventh year prefect and wasn't very fond of me.

Well part of that was because I had made out with her boyfriend during the Yule Ball last year.

Not a good time for some people, I had been very drunk that night and had made out with at least half the boys in my year.

Al's look grew more and more frantic as he continued looking expectantly at the wall.

"Al we have to run now," I half- whispered half-screamt in his ear as the world spun around me.

I leaned against the wall for support but I think the drinks and exertion were too much for me because my eyesight suddenly started failing me.

I was half aware of Al catching me by my waist before I fell and carrying me bridal style into a room this had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

I slowly came to my senses and was aware of lying on a small soft bed with a fire burning in a hearth somewhere nearby.

I propped myself up with my elbows and looked around to find myself in a small cozy room with scarlet banners hanging from the walls and a Qudditch poster of a team I quite didn't recognize.

"Woken up sleeping beauty?" Al asked me as he helped me up with his hand.

Even though it was meant to be humorous he was not smiling one bit.

Where are we exactly I asked him stifling a cry of pain as I sat up completely on the bed.

"Welcome to my room, well at least the Room of Requirement version of it," he said.

I admit I was kind of amazed at being in the fabled place.

"Why did you help me Al?" I asked him.

I had been horrible to him and yet he had prevented me from getting expelled by not reporting me to anyone.

"Because you didn't deserve to get expelled for something you did because your friends told you to," he said.

"You were in there with your 'friends weren't you?" he asked me with anger creeping up in his voice.

"No I wasn't," I lied but I think my voice cracked a bit so that gave it away.

I was having a splitting headache and the nauseous feeling and interrogation wasn't helping at all.

Al saw me cringe and his expression softened a bit.

"Sorry I can't help with that, we are in the Room of Requirement you know but there was no aspirin or Pepper- Up potion provided," Al told me with a shrug.

"How long was I out?" I asked him with a strong sense of foreboding in my voice.

"For about an hour," Al said and he gave me a long hard look.

"So Al how do you know about this place, must be an interesting story!" I asked him fake enthusiasm.

"Don't try to change the subject Bella!" he said with an annoyed look.

"It may have been my idea, how do you know it was not?" I asked him.

"I know you are not that way Bella, beneath that bitchy 'I am too good for you exterior', you are a good person," he said with an honest face.

His words almost brought tears to my eyes, I become quite moody and sensitive when I am drunk.

Al looked at me with a sad smile.

"Why do you take such crap Arabella," he asked.

"I volunteered okay, I volunteered to stay back!" I said effectively admitting all those accusations.

Al came and sat next to me and gave me a long hard look, and now there was a burning sensation in my throat as I tried extremely hard to stop myself from crying.

"I don't know what you are trying to play at Ara, being the strong person who doesn't show any emotions, it's okay to open up once in a while,," Al said.

"It's okay you can even shut up and not tell me anything but don't keep stuff bottled up okay, it's unhealthy," he continued, with a neutral expression on his face.

I looked long and hard at him, seeing for the very first time the open, honest and good person beneath all the prejudices that _I held_ against him.

For the first time in my life I thought that I had found a person whom I could tell stuff and pour my heart out to and he wouldn't judge me too harshly for what I did or didn't do.

I realized with a heavy heart that I had made my first real friend.

"We have a long time don't we, till sunrise anyways?" I asked him.

"Because this is going to take a long time," I told him.

And then we huddled together near the fire as I told him the very things that I shall be telling you now.

…

My mother died when I was five years old. The 'mother' I mentioned earlier is my stepmother, in fact she is my fifth stepmother.

I don't remember anything about my actual mother except for the fact that she always smelled of vanilla oil and lavender and used to sing this really nice lullaby to me, which now when I hear it, it always gives me a sense of comfort and belonging that I don't feel these days, not even at home or at school.

Even now when I sometimes visit the Greengrass mansion, and enter my mother's childhood room, it always carries that very same scent, and it almost reduces me to tears but no, I refuse to cry.

On her death bed I remember my mother holding my hand and wiping my tears away with the other hand. At that time she told me, "I know that it is a tough and scary world out there my dear, but you must always remember that if you stay strong and keep your head held high, nothing will ever happen to you."

She made me vow to her that I would never cry unless it was for something really important, and I have stayed true to my word.

In fact I have only cried twice in my entire lifetime, once when my mother died and the second time when Scorpius cheated on me with Rosetta.

Yeah, you heard me right, I had been dating Scor for a year in my when I caught him kissing Rosetta in the Quidditch locker rooms.

Apparently that had been going on for two months before I found out about it.

Many questioned my decision of choosing to stay friends with them after finding out and thought that I was a loser who was not capable of fighting back, but the truth is that it somehow didn't matter to me.

It was then that I realized that I was extremely dependant on my friends and not the other way around.

Throughout my life I had made it a point not to get attached to people but then I had gone ahead and done that.

I had gotten attached to people who didn't think twice about stabbing me in the back.

But the saddest part was, _I would have gone back begging them to take me in even if they carried on their relationship with each other. _

Yes, that was the first and only time in my life when I considered myself to be a pathetic loser.

After that I completely changed myself.

In my fourth year I got a new haircut, changed my clothes, learned how to apply make- up and basically turned from the sweet nerdy girl into a Prada wearing devil on heels.

All of a sudden I realized that the school loved me, the coolest boys wanted to date me and every girl on campus wanted to be me.

I left poor Rosetta far behind on the popularity chart and let me tell you this I made her and Scor regret the day they broke me for the rest of their days.

….

"And I never once looked back Al," I told him drying the steady outpour of tears on the tissue he had handed me.

"Shhhh, now Ara," he told me as I cried on his shoulder and patted my back, and to tell you the truth I liked it.

Yes, I liked it when Al patted my back and smoothed my hair and I liked it when he whispered soothing words in my ear.

Yes, in short I liked Al.

As my crying slowed down he slowly let go of me but I held his arms before he could go and gave him a firm shake of my head.

He then slowly picked me up and placed me on the bed and then proceeded to lie beside me with his hand still holding mine, and to tell you the truth I had never felt safer in my life.

That night I had broken, I had broken like a glass tumbler which has been heated too long.

Only for me it was a long process,the cracks had started appearing when I was five, finer at first but then becoming deeper as time went by.

But Al had been the one who had come along and actually cracked me open causing my secrets to flush out one by one and I had never, ever been gladder to reveal them.

But there was one secret I would never ever be able to tell him, but I knew that I had to nip THAT problem in the bud BEFORE it caused any humongous problems.

Or else that one dirty little secret could wreck havoc in the little peaceful haven I had created for myself.


End file.
